Hand Surgery in North Carolina

Hand surgery is one the many reconstructive procedures performed by our plastic surgeons at the UNC Aesthetic, Laser & Burn Center in Chapel Hill. This procedure is typically performed to restore the use of the hands following trauma or disease.

What Is Hand Surgery?

Hand surgery can correct the following:

Hand injuries

Congenital defects

Disorders of the hand

Hand surgeries can vary greatly depending on the individual and the trauma sustained or the hand defect.

Who Can Benefit?

For individuals who have suffered some sort of trauma to the hands or have a disease or defect that negatively affects the use of their hands, hand surgery may be performed to correct the issue. Using techniques such as grafting, flap surgery, and transplantation, hand surgery can correct injuries to tendons, nerves, blood vessels, joints, and bones, as well as burns and cuts.

The Hand Surgery Procedure

As each type of hand defect or injury varies, they must all be corrected in different manners.

Carpal tunnel, which is caused by repetitive motion of the hands and results in aching numbness and hindered function, is treated with a procedure called carpal tunnel release. The surgery involves an incision made from palm to wrist. Through this incision, your plastic surgeon will cut the tissue that is pressing on the nerve, releasing the pressure.

To treat rheumatoid arthritis, which is an inflamed joint tissue that causes pain and limits hand function, your plastic surgeon may move ligaments to access and remove the inflamed joint lining. This is often performed by inserting a small tube with a light source through an incision.

If you suffer from Dupuyten’s contracture, a condition in which scar tissue formations limit finger movement, your plastic surgeon can cut the thickened tissue, allowing your fingers to move more freely. This surgery may also necessitate skin grafts.

Finally, in the case of syndactyly, in which two or more fingers are fused together, the connecting tissue is cut to separate the fingers and skin grafts may be used to fill the area between each finger. This surgery usually restores a full range of motion to the hand.

Hand Surgery Aftercare

Following hand surgery, it is not uncommon to experience mild to even severe pain, and your plastic surgeon may prescribe medication to help manage discomfort. You will also likely undergo rehabilitation to regain movement in your hand.

Possible complications stemming from hand surgery may include infection, poor healing, blood clots, and loss of feeling or motion.

Learn More About Hand Surgery in Raleigh-Durham

To learn more about the advanced techniques that our plastic surgeons employ in Chapel Hill to restore normal form and function to injured hands, please call them at the UNC Aesthetic, Laser & Burn Center to schedule a consultation.